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Where are you looking for a job? Salaries vary greatly by region.
I have here the 1993 salary survey for the Austin chapter of the STC.
With 70 members reporting, the mean salary (for permanent employees,
not contractors) is $40,600. The range is from $25,000 to $62,500.
I think Austin is one of the better-paying areas outside of California
and the east coast, where the high cost of living tends to inflate
salaries.
On the other hand, you could drive 80 miles to San Antonio, get
a tech writing job, and probably qualify for food stamps. Just kidding,
but I would expect to make about half of what I make in Austin for
the same work (and it's not *that* much cheaper to live in S.A.)
An awful lot depends on the industry, too. Sorry, there's no
blanket answer.